Topic: constitution

The Republicans had a very good election day [“America’s broken political system,” Opinion, Nov. 7]. So be it. That said, however, I would caution the victors with this: Look at your margin of victory in the many races. Was it 15 to 20 percent, or was it more like 4 to 6 percent or less? Also, look…

In his letter, Marshall Dunlap seems to know little about the U.S. Constitution, guns, self defense and criminals [“Background-check inconvenience worth it to keep guns from criminals,” Northwest Voices, Oct. 7]. He writes, “No one needs a gun, especially a handgun. …” Need is not mentioned in the Second Amendment, which states, “The right…

The column “What did the framers really mean?” [Opinion, May 28] really captured my interest. I particularly found fault with the lack of columnist Joe Nocera’s failure to even mention the founders’ letters, “The Federalist Papers,” covering this very subject. The letters describe in detail their very strong feelings and deep concerns on the…

The law requiring prompt assessment of involuntarily committed patients is neither obscure nor a technicality [“Evaluators’ missed deadlines are freeing county mental patients,” Local News, May 10]. It is part of a very important right enshrined in the U.S. The Constitution requires the right of having the validity of one’s detention determined by habeas…

The Supreme Court’s most recent ruling on McCutcheon v. FEC should be the last straw for “We The People” [“Ruling loosens reins on political donations,” Nation & World, April 2]. The five majority judges seem out of touch with how democracy should really work — one person, one vote. It is time to amend the…

Keep those goals in mind So enamored of the anti-monarchical sentiments in the Declaration of Independence that most Americans do not realize it is not part of the U.S. Constitution. This declaration was a call to arms against the British, a war which the colonists won a long time ago. Regrettably, we now disregard the preamble to the…

New government has big responsibility Thank you for your coverage of Egypt, and the column by David Brooks last Sunday. [“Defending the Egyptian coup,” Opinion, July 7.] When starting a new country on the road to democracy, we need to remember the following: First, it is a long road. Second, free and fair elections, while essential,…

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